NameCensus.

UK surname

Southerland

Derived from a place name meaning "southern land" in Old English, referring to someone from the south.

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Southerland surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Waveney and Enfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Southerland is 106 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.8%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1999

106 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Southerland had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 90 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Southerland surname distribution map

The map shows where the Southerland surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Southerland surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Southerland over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 49 #24,448
1861 historical 82 #23,321
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 85 #24,322
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 92 #28,974
2004 modern 92 #29,197
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 92 #29,929
2008 modern 94 #29,950
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 99 #30,397
2011 modern 98 #30,384
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Southerlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Waveney, Enfield, Sunderland and North Norfolk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Waveney 015 Waveney
3 Enfield 002 Enfield
4 Sunderland 020 Sunderland
5 North Norfolk 002 North Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Southerland

These lists show first names that appear often with the Southerland surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Southerland

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Southerland, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Southerland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Southerland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Southerland is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Southerland is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Southerland falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Southerland is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Southerland, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Southerland

The surname Southerland has its origins in the northern parts of Scotland, particularly in the areas of Caithness and Sutherland. It is believed to have emerged during the 12th or 13th century and is derived from the Old Norse words "suthr" meaning "southern" and "land" meaning "land" or "territory".

This name likely referred to the southern part of the Sutherland region, which was historically part of the Norse kingdom of Orkney and Shetland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "Suthrland" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1290.

The Sutherland clan was one of the most powerful and influential families in northern Scotland during the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded members of this clan was William de Moravia, who held the title of Earl of Sutherland in the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Southerland name can be found in various Scottish records, such as the Bain's Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland from 1357, which mentions a "John de Sutherland". Additionally, the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England, includes the name "Sutherlant" in its listings.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Southerland or its variations. One of the most prominent was Sir John Sutherland (1610-1670), a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. Another was George Sutherland (1862-1942), an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1922 to 1938.

Other notable individuals with this surname include the Scottish author and historian Alexander Sutherland (1833-1905), the American painter Earl Southerland (1881-1941), and the Canadian politician and businessman Robert Sutherland (1891-1976).

The Southerland name has also been associated with various place names, such as the town of Sutherland in Iowa, United States, and the Sutherland River in Western Australia. Additionally, the Scottish district of Sutherland, which was historically part of the Southerland clan's territory, continues to bear this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Southerland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Southerland surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 46 Southerlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.08x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 46 34.08x
Lancashire 11 1.06x
Surrey 10 2.34x
Northumberland 6 4.59x
Middlesex 5 0.57x
Cheshire 4 2.06x
Yorkshire 2 0.23x
Cumberland 1 1.32x
Kent 1 0.33x
Perthshire 1 2.54x
Renfrewshire 1 1.47x
Sussex 1 0.68x
Warwickshire 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brancaster in Norfolk leads with 21 Southerlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 9130.43x.

Place Total Index
Brancaster 21 9130.43x
Thornham 21 10500.00x
Lambeth 8 10.45x
Manchester 7 14.94x
Brinnington 4 220.99x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 38.46x
Byker 2 30.96x
Limehouse London 2 20.75x
Liverpool 2 3.16x
Titchwell 2 5000.00x
Birmingham 1 1.36x
Cheetham 1 12.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 6.04x
Croydon 1 4.21x
Fakenham 1 151.52x
Hutton Lowcross 1 1428.57x
Inverkip 1 62.50x
Islington London 1 1.18x
Middlesbrough 1 8.83x
Mile End Old Town 1 7.22x
Morpeth 1 64.94x
Newington 1 3.08x
Petworth 1 113.64x
Poplar London 1 6.04x
Rickergate 1 62.50x
Scone 1 142.86x
Sedgeford 1 434.78x
St Peters 1 71.94x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Southerland surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Southerland surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 7
William 7
George 4
Isaac 4
James 4
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Daniel 1
David 1
Donald 1
Elijah 1
Paton 1
Robert 1
Roderick 1

FAQ

Southerland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Southerland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Southerland surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Southerland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Southerland a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Southerland surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "southern land" in Old English, referring to someone from the south.

What does the Southerland map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Southerland bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.